Alessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri


Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri was an occasional actor and legendary figure of Rome's era in the 1950s and '60s. Known for his eccentric lifestyle and charismatic personality, he was the 9th Prince of Cerveteri, 9th Marquess of Riano, 14th Count of Vignanello and Prince of the Roman Papal States. Dado was famous for his flamboyant walks along Via Veneto, often with a parrot perched on his shoulder, and served as inspiration for Federico Fellini's iconic film "La Dolce Vita." Dado descends from a brother of Cardinal Bartolomeo Ruspoli.

Early life

Dado was born in Rome in 1924. His mother, his father's first wife Claudia dei Conti Matarazzo, who died when he was 9, was heiress to one of the largest fortunes in Brazil as daughter of Count Francesco Matarazzo. His father Francesco Ruspoli, 8th Prince of Cerveteri, later a poet, fought in both World Wars.

Cultural impact and lifestyle

Ruspoli became renowned as a legendary figure of the Italian, epitomizing charisma and allure during the vibrant decades of the 1950s and 60s. He gained notoriety for his eccentric strolls along Via Veneto, often accompanied by a parrot perched upon his shoulder.
Dado's flamboyant lifestyle and magnetic personality served as inspiration for Federico Fellini's iconic 1960 film "La Dolce Vita." His wife Patricia described him as "an alchemist of life, transforming the everyday into the marvelous."
In addition to his social prominence, Dado was a patron of the arts who supported the creation of the Ballets de Paris by Roland Petit and lived through the golden age of dance with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.
Dado became known for his extravagant lifestyle in the 1950s and 60s. His magnetic presence attracted a constellation of luminaries from the worlds of art, literature, and cinema, including Brigitte Bardot, Salvador Dalí, Truman Capote, Roger Vadim, Roman Polanski, and Emmanuelle Arsan.

Personal life

Ruspoli's first marriage, in Rome on 8 December 1947, was to Nobile Francesca dei Baroni Blanc, daughter of Nobile Mario dei Baroni Blanc and wife Anita Felici. She died in Milan on 27 February 1962. They had no children.

Second marriage

Ruspoli's second marriage was on 5 May 1964 at Vignanello, the location of the ancestral residence, Castello Ruspoli, to French aristocrat Nancy de Girard de Charbonnières, daughter of Roger Jean de Girard de Charbonnières and wife Andrée Marie Pommarède. Before their divorce in 1974, they were the parents of one son:
Following his divorce from Nancy, he had a relationship with actress Debra Berger, a daughter of William Berger. They never married but were the parents of two sons:
Ruspoli's third marriage was also in Rome, on 20 November 1993, to Theresa Patricia Genest. This marriage produced a daughter and a son:
In December 2024, Rome celebrated the centenary of Dado's birth with events honoring his contribution to Italian culture and cinema. His widow Patricia Ruspoli organized commemorative events, with his son Théodore reading excerpts from Dado's poetry collection "Le pulsazioni del silenzio". Plans were made for additional commemorative events in Vignanello, the ancestral seat that Dado considered his "place of the heart."

Filmography